


This Fear Falls Away

by backinthebox



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Gen, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 11:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30105594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backinthebox/pseuds/backinthebox
Summary: The "aftermath" part was easy enough to interpret.She was too late.
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Maria Rambeau & Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	This Fear Falls Away

**Author's Note:**

> WandaVision went right after the CarolMaria feelings, dear readers.

When the pager went off, she had been light years away from ~~C-53~~ Earth, people around her turning to dust; upon realizing the two events had to be connected, she was _gone_. Racing out of the galaxy, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of taking jump points without a ship – both forgetting about her ship until too late and ultimately deciding she could travel faster without it – focusing only on getting home, ignoring the occasional racing thought of what could have happened for Fury to page her at the exact same moment people started disintegrating galaxies away.

Her comms picked up similar distress calls along the way, so she knew that whatever was happening, it was happening everywhere, and it was enough for her to make Fury's emergency an immediate, if not quite a primary, concern.

It still took her a few days to get home, but she did, a quick study of radio signals conveying the chaotic aftermath of a widespread event.

The "aftermath" part was easy enough to interpret.

She was too late.

She was _too late_ , but she couldn't dwell on that reproach for too long, as the coverage of the aftermath came with questions and demands of where had the Avengers been, and she realized that for all of Fury's confidence, and Monica's assessments that there wasn't a lot a team of superheroes couldn't handle – and Carol's own self-assurance that she could be of better use elsewhere – the truth was that they had all been wrong.

Just how _wrong_ , however, was still up for discussion and debate.

She made the choice to see her family first, instead of heeding the beacon signal, hoping Maria or Monica could fill in the blanks.

Instead she came face to face with a Maria Rambeau she had never met before.

Her memories still haven't all come back, but she has pieced together enough history, built upon them and formed newer ones, enough to know that the deadly calm Maria conveyed wasn't one she had encountered before.

Her first clue should have been the fact that Maria had not, even once, tried to get in touch with her in the days before she'd touched down.

Or how, after a moment of staring at each other, after too long a period apart, Carol's tentative greeting of Maria's name was cut off by Maria shaking her head curtly.

It took her coming face to face with Maria, with Maria taking one look at her, Maria's face harsh and gaunt with a weariness and exhaustion that seemed to permeate her very being and went beyond the illness that had taken hold and wreaked its havoc on Maria's health for the better part of the recent past; when Maria finally spoke, the tone of her voice was not kind. "Where were you?"

Whether Maria meant it or not, Carol felt the veiled accusation like a slap in the face.

From the information that she has gathered, whatever it was that _had_ happened, it seemed to have happened _here_. It had originated here: on _Earth_. The one place, more than anything, she should have done a better job protecting.

Carol is on the back foot, as she still had not yet figured out what had happened and would need more information than the cries for help of people here and on other planets, and she knew that until she had answers, she would have to tread lightly, as Maria's calm belied the taut, almost visible tension that threatened to snap, and she would have to talk Maria down from whatever metaphorical ledge she was on.

She realized too late that this unnerving calm could only be a response to a realized fear.

Fear, Carol hated to admit, she not only understood, but dreaded to have confirmed.

"Where's Monica?"

Maria stared at her, and the dread hit like a freight train.

"Monica's gone." Maria said, her voice dull and emotionless, which spoke more about the true state of her emotions than any other declaration would have. She looked away, as if to avoid Carol's gaze, and possibly to gather herself, before she turned back to Carol with fire in her eyes. This time, her voice was cutting, making a point, as she advanced upon Carol. "And you – _you_ – You should have been here."

"I was—"

"You weren't here." Maria snapped. "I was alone, I woke up and realized Monica was _gone_ , and you weren't there." She eyed the suit critically, and Carol had never felt so small and insignificant since she had started wearing the uniform colors Monica had chosen for her. "Where were _you_ , when the world needed you, when _this world_ needed you, when I—" She stopped short, not allowing Carol to hear the rest of that sentiment. "So you _go_ , be a big damn hero, _and you fix this_."

Given her marching orders, and almost afraid what else Maria would have to direct at her, Carol could only nod.

"Okay." Carol nodded, because what else could she do? She retreated slightly, ready to escape the quiet wrath of the other woman, but she couldn't help her quiet confession. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm not." Came the soft reply. When Carol dared to look back up and meet that dark gaze, Maria had softened somewhat, as if Carol going off _to do something about it_ , whatever 'it' was, had been the mode of action she'd needed to accomplish. She met Carol's gaze. "I'm not okay." With the confession all the anger and determination fell away, her expression crumpling to give way to her grief. "Monica's _gone_ , Carol."

Carol doesn't remember moving, but one moment she was by the door, and in the next she was holding Maria, sharing her grief, offering her what comfort she could provide. She doesn't offer empty platitudes or promises, not yet knowing what had happened, but she could offer Maria this.

They share a tight embrace for long moments, both of them needing the comfort only the other could provide, and only broke the embrace when Maria seemed to remember time was of the essence, and she pulled back, offering Carol a tired smile. "I'm glad to see you, too."

Carol nodded again, stepping back and letting her go. While this had not been the flawless reunion she could have looked forward to, at least Maria wasn't actively hating her. "We'll fix this." It's more plea than promise, and she knows better than to make promises before she knows what they're dealing with, but she wants – no, she _needs_ to believe it.

Maria knew her well enough to know better than to ask what she was going to do – knew Carol did not always take action with a prepared plan.

"Where are you gonna go?" Maria asked, a little more calmly than before, now that they were relatively on the same page.

"Fury paged me, so…" Carol hazarded a guess, given the approximate location of the pager signal she had picked up, "DC?"

"Try New York." Maria advised.

Carol was doubtful, but she hasn't really been in touch with Fury, especially since she had found out what SHIELD had been up to with the tesseract, but she knew Maria has been - maybe not recently, but definitely more recent than Carol - and trusted Maria's judgment. "New York. Okay."

She took another step towards the door, hesitated, and then hazarded, "I'll come back." Her tone belied that it had been less of a declarative statement than a question, maybe asking for permission, or asking for confirmation on an unasked question.

"I'll be here." Maria affirmed. "Go on."

Carol goes.


End file.
